1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed and claimed herein generally pertains to a method and apparatus for displaying icons, symbols or other information, associated with a large number of systems management resources, on a single display screen. More particularly, the invention pertains to a method of the above type wherein a compression technique is used to enhance viewability or visualization of the displayed information. Even more particularly, the invention pertains to a method of the above type wherein a user is able to select from alternative approaches in organizing the information into a single topology view.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is very useful for systems management administrators to be able to visualize all the resources they manage at the same time, by displaying the resources together on a single display screen or the like. Such resources can include, without limitation, computing machines, computer related devices, and hardware and software components of many types that are incorporated into a system. At present, administrators may have to manage systems that include on the order of 100,000 devices and other components, and it is not possible to visualize this number of resources at once. More particularly, the user interface (UI) technology that is presently available for use by systems management administrators is generally limited by resolution, screen size and rendering capabilities. Accordingly, an administrator can view only a limited number of resources together, on a single screen.
As used herein, “topology” refers to the arrangement or organization of icons and other graphical elements on a UI display screen. Depending on screen size, resolution and software design of currently available user interfaces, on the order of around 50-500 resources can be depicted at one time on the screen. At lower numbers like 50, it is possible to display many characteristics about each resource, such as its type, name and status. Resource type is typically shown by an icon and/or a label, name is shown by a label, and status is indicated by a color. However, as the number of resources approaches 100 and above, the amount of displayed content has to be scaled back, so that a colored geometric symbol is the only thing available to display each individual resource.
Moreover, in the display of managed systems resources, it may be useful or necessary to illustrate the relationship between different resources. This may be comparatively simple if there is only a single relationship between two resources. However, as the number of resources of the system exceeds 100, and the relationships among different resources become increasingly complex and intertwined, it is increasingly difficult to achieve a useful display of the resources on a single screen.